Hydroponics

Presentation by:
Rama Krishna Rayala Msc (Horticulture)
Experience: 20years
Definition -Hydroponics
 History of Hydroponics
• The earliest published work on growing terrestrial plants without soil was the 1627 book Sylva
Sylvarum or 'A Natural History' by Francis Bacon,
• In 1699 John Woodward published his water culture experiments with spearmint.
• In 1929, William Frederick Gericke (August 30, 1882 – September 29, 1970) of the University of
California at Berkeley began publicly promoting that solution culture be used for agricultural crop
production.
• Hydroponics was used there in the 1930s to grow vegetables for the passengers. Hydroponics was
a necessity on Wake Island because there was no soil, and it was prohibitively expensive to airlift
in fresh vegetables.
• In the 1960s, Allen Cooper of England developed the Nutrient film technique
• In 2007, Eurofresh Farms in Willcox, Arizona, sold more than 200 million pounds of hydroponically
grown tomatoes. Eurofresh has 318 acres (1.3 km2) under glass and represents about a third of the
commercial hydroponic greenhouse area in the U.S.Eurofresh tomatoes were pesticide-free,
grown in rockwool with top irrigation.
• As of 2017, Canada had hundreds of acres of large-scale commercial hydroponic greenhouses,
producing tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers.
• Due to technological advancements within the industry and numerous economic factors, the
global hydroponics market is forecast to grow from US$226.45 million in 2016 to US$724.87
million by 2023.
 Hydroponic growth
• The Global Hydroponics Market is segmented
into
• the aggregate hydroponic system and
• liquid hydroponic system
 HYDROPONICS-MARKET OVER VIEW
• The Global Hydroponics Market is projected to register a CAGR of
6.8% over the forecast period (2020-2025). In 2019, Europe is the
largest geographic segment of the market studied and accounted
for a share of around 47.3% of the overall market.
• Hydroponics is an environment-friendly and profitable technology.
It has been promoted by the various governments and non-
governmental organizations for its benefits in terms of food
security. The need for food supply against the explosive population
increase by 2050 has catalyzed the growth of the hydroponics
market.
• High-cost is the only major drawback in technology. However, a lot
of R&D activity is being carried out globally to reduce the cost
involved in technology. The major industry drivers include high
profits, growing emphasis on food security, and increasing
consumption of salad and exotic vegetables.
 HYDROPONICS-KEY MARKET TRENDS
• Higher Consumption of Salads and Vegetables
• The demand for exotic fruits and vegetables has been
constantly growing at a higher rate due to the increased
purchasing power of consumers. The cost of these exotic
products is high, as most of these products are imported,
and thus, several research institutions and universities are
focusing on establishing more simplified hydroponics
systems, in order to accelerate the production of exotic
fruits and vegetables and meet the escalating demand.
• Increasing awareness among the consumers of eating fresh
vegetables will also fuel the market in future. Demand
for Exotic vegetables like red and yellow capsicum, red
lettuce in Retail company like Burger king, KFC,Pizza will
drive the market.
HYDROPONICS-THE GLOBAL MARKET
Europe is traditionally the largest market, that is implementing
advanced techniques in hydroponics smart greenhouse horticulture.
The matured European market demand is led by countries, such as
the Netherlands, Spain, and France. In Europe, Holland is the largest
producer of hydroponic crops and is expected to maintain the lead for
the next 10 years. This is because of the vast expansion of
hydroponics technology in the Netherlands. Germany is expected to
register a higher pace, among the European countries. The major
vegetable and fruit crops that are grown using hydroponics
in European countries include, cucumber, tomatoes, roses, and
peppers among others. As consumers are becoming increasingly
aware of the quality difference in greenhouse-grown vegetables, the
demand for hydroponics culture is increasing in Europe.
 PORTABLE HYDROPONICS
• In October 2018, Box greens, a miami based
company that introduced farms-in-a-box
which retrofits cointainers into portable
hydroponics farms.
• In Novemeber 2018, IKEA, a dealer in home
accessories ,developed new hydroponic
cultivation kit for indoor cultivation of herbs
and vegetables
 HYDROPONICS-UAE
• UAE-based company Badia Farms recently announced
the launch of the GCC’s first commercial vertical indoor
farm which allows UAE residents to get their produce
on the day of harvest. The company uses hydroponic
technology and vertical farming techniques to produce
18 types of pesticide-free vegetables indoors.
• Other key players in the UAE region’s hydroponic
agriculture producers :Emirates Hydroponics Farms
(EHF), Salata Farms, Greenoponics, Aero Fresh Farms,
Alesca Life, and Pegasus Agritech.
 LEADING ORGANISATIONS IN
HYDROPONICS
• Some of the leading players in the WORLD market include
• AeroFarms (US),
• Freight Farms (US),
• Greentech Agro LLC (US),
• Argus Control Systems (Canada),
• Logiqs BV (The Netherlands), ,
• Signify Holdings (The Netherlands),
• Emirates Hydroponics Farms (UAE),
• Green Sense Farms Holdings, Inc. (US)
• Lumigrow, Inc. (US),
• General Hydroponics, Inc. (US),
• Village Farms International (Canada) and
• Hydrodynamics International, Inc. (US).
 INDIAN HYDROPONIC FARMS
• AmHydro and Farms 2050-Bangalore
• Simply fresh-Hyderabad
• Junga farms-Himachal pradesh
 Hydroponic Startups-India
• 1. Acqua Farms, Chennai
• 2. Letcetra Agritech, Goa
• 3. BitMantis Innovations, Bengaluru
• 4. UrbanKissan, Hyderabad
• 5. Future Farms, Chennai
• 6. Ela Sustainable Solutions, Cochin
• 7. Junga FreshnGreen, Himachal Pradesh
• 8. Pindfresh, Chandigar
• 9.Green Mithra-Hyderabad
 Hydroponics-Advantanges
• Hydroponics may be more expensive to get
started with than soil, hydroponics can be a
superior way of growing green leafy
vegetables, exotic leafy vegetables and hydro
technology is getting cheaper and more
accessible every day, offering a range of
benefits over classic soil-based cultivation.
 Soil-less/Hydroponics -Advantages
Reduced water consumption.
 Hydroponics uses less than 1/10th of the water
(90% can be saved)
Faster crop ripening
Improved quality products
Longer Shelf Life of product.

Less space needed to grow.

• Effective control over the root environment.
• Yields are very predictable. Budgeting is
easier
• Root zone aeration as well as adequate
porosity of medium is ensured.
• Increased Yields and Growth Rates. Hence,
possibility of obtaining more products in less
time than using traditional agriculture
• The possibility of growing plants more
densely-less space
• Possibility of growing the same plant
species repeatedly because there is no
soil depletion-plant rotation not needed
• Plants have a balanced supply of air,
water and nutrients
• Cleaner and fresher products can be
reaped
• Production can be timed more
effectively to satisfy market demand
• Healthier products can be produced
• Soil borne pests (fungi) and diseases can
be eliminated
• Reduction of health risks associated with
pest management and soil care
• Products are more resistant to diseases
• Natural or Biological control or even
chemical control can be employed
• Can avoid troublesome weeds and stray
seedlings which the result in the need for
herbicides
• Labour cost can be reduced
considerably
• Reduced turn around time between
planting as no soil preparation is
required
• Stable and increased yields and shorter
crop maturation cycle
• Can be utilized by families with small or
no yard space, even indoors
• Water stays in the system and can
be reused - thus, lower water
costs

• Pests and disease are easier to

get rid of because of container
mobility
• Nutrients in the soil are often fixed
as insoluble compounds that are
not available to plants and
therefore a loss to the grower.

• In traditional methods, nutrients

may loss due to leaching and to
atmosphere.
• In hydroponics, it is possible to
control the nutrition levels – thus
save nutrients- lower nutrition
costs-
• increases nutrient availability to
plants-

• can make available nutritive

products with balanced nutrients
• No nutrition pollution is released into the
environment/ ground water because of the
controlled system

• Hydroponic nutrient solutions can be tailored

the plant’s requirements, whereas in the field
there is a tendency to over or under-fertilise.

• Hydroponic produce has all the macro-

micronutrients that are needed by the human
body.
30/05/2020 Presentation is copyright of ISH, India
• Over- and under-watering can be prevented

• Hydroponics is often the best crop production

method in areas that lack suitable soil or water
supplies.

• •In solution culture hydroponics, plant roots can

be seen.
• We have to use Minimum pesticides, no
herbicides a

• required
• Hydroponic lettuce can be grown
year round and harvested every 25-
30 days, allowing for quick
turnover.

• Lettuce -the king of salad

vegetables - rules in the meals of
people throughout the world.- most
widely used crop in North America.
re
• Hydroponics is ecologically sound and
sustainable.

• It is allowing a person to sustain themselves

on less than 100m2.

• People with large systems growing 5000

plants a week have reported that, once
their system is set up, they can earn 50,000 a
week spending 2 hours a day at work.
Types of hydroponics
 Active and passive
Open and closed Hydroponics

Passive , non circulating open

type of hydroponic system Active, circulating and closed
type of hydroponic system
PASSIVE HYDROPONICS

Vertical towers by using inert material as media is a

open type and passive non circulating type of
hydroponic cultivation
PASSIVE HYDROPONICS

Grow bag hydroponics is a open type and passive non

circulating type of hydroponic cultivation
 VERTICAL/GROWBAG

Vertial pvc pipe: ht 5-6ft Uv stabilised grow LLDPE

Dia: 6-8inch bag:1x1x1ft
Inert material required: 20kg/tower
 Grow bag systems
• Open hydroponic systems, or bag culture systems, are the most widely used hydroponic systems in Africa
and in India. They are used for the production of crops such as tomatoes, peppers, melons, brinjals, roses
etc. Any crop that can be trellised or that grows at least 1 m high is suitable for bag culture.
• These systems are relatively cheap to install and manage, but have a higher maintenance cost than closed
hydroponic systems. A major disadvantage is that the nutrient solution is not re-circulated. It is obvious
that there is considerable waste in terms of the effluent but with careful management of the timing of the
irrigations system, this can be minimized.
• Characteristics of open hydroponic systems are:
• Each plant is in a separate bag
• Each plant receives its own water and nutrients
• Each water application has a complete nutrient balance
• Water is NOT re-circulated
• The risk of spreading disease throughout the system, through irrigation water, is low.
• Bags are at least 10 L in size and have holes in the sides or at the bottom.
• The most common growth media used is sawdust, wood shavings, sand or combinations of the three.
• Plants are planted in a 10 – 15 L bag as illustrated below. These bags are cheap and are filled with the
growing medium such as pine shavings, pine chips, sand or choir. There are many other growing mediums
that can be used, it just depends on what is cheap and inert.
Economics of Growbag Hydroponics(0.25ACRES)
A. CAPITAL COSTS UNITS TOTAL COST IN LAKHS

Green house 1000sqmt 6.00(ON 50% SUBSIDY)

Drip irrigation 1000Sqmt 0.50

Soil preparation 0.50

Weed mat 0.50

Polybags 2500 0.50

cocopeat 25MT 1.25

Total A 9.25

B.Operational costs(Crop cycle)

Trellising thread 0.25

nutrients 0.20
Organic pesticides 0.10
seeds 0.15
Salary 0.90
Electricity 0.24

Total B 1.84
 ECONOMICS OF GROW BAGS(0.25ACRES)
A. CAPITAL COSTS UNITS TOTAL

YIELD PER PLANT 4KG/plant

NUMBER OF PLANTS 2500

TOTAL YIELD 10000KG

SINGLE CROP CYCLE

SALE PRICE 40/KG

GROSS INCOME 4.00,000

NET INCOME ON SINLE CROP OPERATIONAL 2,16,000

COSTS

TOTAL NET INCOME PER YEAR PER 2 CYCCLES 4,32,000

 Economics-Vertical tower farming (500sqmt)
A. CAPITAL COSTS UNITS TOTAL COST IN LAKHS

Green house 500sqmt 3.00(ON 50% SUBSIDY)

Drip irrigation 1000Sqmt 0.50

Pvc vertical towers 1200 9.60
Weed mat 0.25
Pot mix 12MT 1.20
Total A 9.25

B.Operational costs(Crop cycle)

SALARY 1.80
nutrients 0.25
seeds 0.15
Electricity 0.12

Total B 2.32

INCOME/month/cycle

Yield per tower 0.7kg

Total yield 840kg

Sale price @100/kg 84000/month/cycle

Per year (8cycles) 6,72,000

net income per year 4,40,000

Types of liquid hydroponics
WICK SYSTEM
Ebb and flow system
Drip system
NUTRIENT FILM TECHNIQUE
NUTRIENT FILM TECHNIQUE
Green Mithras Hobby hydroponic Kit: 50plants kit
Components: 1 mete channels-10 (100x50mm)
Self assembled frame
End caps-10
Submercible water pump
Hydroponic nutrients-3litres
Net pots-50
Cocopeat- 5kg
Seeds
Drip kit
Amaranthus
 Weight (gm) Growth -XL Gardenguru Radongrow
Variety -- HTR&TU mix

Amandine Rz (leaf lettuce) 405 320 402.8 298.9

Louxal Rz (leaf lettuce) 402 315.6 400.o1 298.5

Kristine Rz (oak leaf) 103.5 98.7 105 78.9

Mundai (oak leaf) 138. 7 125.3 127.9 107.5

Nomuji (ice berg lettuce) 121.3 99.7 116.9 99.8

Misticanza 285 224.3 289.4 200.5
Lattugalollo 325 289.5 325.9 218.6
Loliage 395 312.3 392.5 299.5
Concorde Rz 302 234.6 289.9 269.8
Locarno Rz 314 228.5 310.4 209.5
Mean 279.2 224.9 273.3 208.2
 CROPS GROWN IN NFT
• Lettuce
• Spinach
• Chards
• Mustard
• Coriander
• Dill
• Basil 
• Oregano
• Thyme
• Amaranths, Kale,Strawberries, Chinese cabbage, Bok-
choi, Branhmi ,Lemon balm
Per plant yield =
2 to 2.5kg
 Hydroponics economics-5000plants=50sqmts

• Say lettuce –duration = 4 weeks

• Area required for 5000plants in flat bed layout method=

5000x.25x.25 = 312 m2

• Including path way = 500m2

• In Vertical farming(NFT) = In 1sqmt= > 106 plants

• Then for 5000 plants =50m2

 N.F.T VERTICAL -50Sqmt
5000 plants
CAPITAL COSTS UNITS TOTAL COST IN LAKHS

Green house with 50sqmt 6.00

automation
N.F.T beds 200/PLANT 10.00

Total 16.00

Income

YIELD 0.30KG/PLANT

TOTAL YILED 1500KG

SALE PRICE 180/KG

TOTAL INCOME PER 2.70

MONTH
Operational costs/month 0.50

Net income per month 2.20

DEEP WATER CULTURE/
RAFT SYSTEM
• Raft System (active or passive)
• In this system, plants float on rafts above a reservoir
of nutrient solution. (Styrofoam rafts)
• The tips of the roots reach the liquid
• holes cut in the raft for the plants allow some air
exchange.
• Many raft systems used to aerate the water
automatically, to provide the roots with greater
exposure to oxygen.
•HYDROPOIC FODDER
CULTIVATION
Need of Hydroponic Technology in
Green Fodder Production
• Hydroponics technology is required to
overcome the following constraints in
production of quality green fodder.

• • In case of small land holdings. &

non-availability of fertile lands for green
fodder cultivation.
••
• • In mining and coastal belt
areas where only limited area for
growing green fodder dairy
industry.

• • In areas, where destruction of

fodder is caused by stray cattle’s
and other wild animals.
• • In regions, where dairy farmers spend
higher cost for labour for green fodder
cultivation.

• • In regions, where demand of green

fodder is very high against existing
availability of the fodder.

• When the irrigation/water facility, fencing,

land preparations resources /labour are
limited.
• Produced by growing seeds without
soil but in water or nutrients rich
solutions
• Requires lesser space
• Produces highly nutritious fodder
than soil farming.
• It consists of a framework of
shelves on which trays are stacked.

• A layer of seeds is spread over the

base of the trays.

• During the growing period, the

seeds are kept moist, but not
saturated.
• They are supplied with moisture usually
via spray irrigation.
• Holes in the trays facilitate drainage of
excess water.

• The seeds will usually sprout within 24

to 48 hours after soaking

• In 7 days , we can have 8 to 10 inch high

grass mat.
• Hydroponic fodder is much more easily
digestible

• full of nutrients and enzymes that the

energy spent on this digestion process
would be far less

• with the resultant extra energy being

diverted to milk production and growth.
HYDROPONIC FODDER
Aeroponics
• Aeroponics is a method of
growing plants

• Roots of the plants are

suspended in the air.

• A controlled fine mist of soluble

nutrients are sprayed to the roots.
•For Good and healthy
growth of the plants,
the availability of
air (
oxygen ) and nutrient
mist in the root zone
is critical.
• The principle of aeroponics lies IN periodic
spraying of plant roots with a nutrient mist

• This encourages growth of an extensive network

of fine lateral roots.

• Because the collective surface area represented

by these tiny roots is very large, the uptake of
oxygen and nutrients is much greater than usual

• which ultimately allows the plant to grow

faster.
• Saves water & nutrients –
• save 90% of water compared to
soil cultivation

• 70% of water compared to

hydroponic cultivation as water &
nutrients supply are under recycling
and controlled system
Saves manpower--- no more
digging, weeding

􀀹 Zero waste discharge

DUTCH BUCKET
SYSTEM
Dutch bucket system
Dutch bucket system -Brinjal
Dutch bucket system
Growing medium/nutrient solutions
 TO LIVE EVERY PLANT NEEDS
CHO NPK Ca Mg S + MN
For healthy growth, a plant requires:
• Energy: Light for photosynthesis
• Water
Photosynthesis:
• Gases: CO2 + H2O  carbohydrates (CHO) + O2
•CO2: basic component
of organic matter
•O2: basic component
and catalytic
respiration
• Nutrients:
• nitrogen (N)
• phosphorus (P)
• potassium (K)
• calcium (Ca)
• magnesium (Mg)
• sulfur (S)
• micronutrients
• There are over 16-19 elements that are
needed for a plant to grow.
• Any good Hydroponic nutrient should
contain all of these elements; Nitrogen
(N), Potassium (K), Phosphorous (P),
Calcium (Ca), Magnesium (Mg), Sulphur
(S), Iron (Fe), Manganese (Mn), Copper
(Cu), Zinc (Zn), Molydenum (Mo), Boron
(B), Chlorine (Cl)
• Carbon, hydrogen and oxygen are
absorbed from the air and water.
 FERTILIZER TANK

A-Tank
Calcium Nitrate
Potassium Nitrate
Ammonium Nitrate
Fe (Chelated)
B-Tank
Potassium Nitrate
Magnesium nitrate
Magnesium sulphate
Potassium Sulphate (SOP)
(0:0:52)
MKP (0:52:34)
MAP (12:0:61)
STOCK NUTRIENT SOLUTIONS GREENHOUSES

IN GREENHOUSES

KNO3 KNO3 HNO3

H3PO4 H2SO4
Ca(NO3)2 NH4H2PO4
Mg(NO3)2 KH2PO4
NH4NO3 (NH4)2SO4
chelates NH4NO3

TANK A TANK B

Ca2+ PO43- SO42 -

TANK C
injector

injector

injector
Acid
N K Mg N K
micronutrients

Irrigation water
 Water quality parameters
Hardness
Hard water forms scale in irrigation
pipes, heating elements and pumps
causing severe blockages. Use of
anti-scaling agents like those used
up-stream of a reverse osmosis
purification unit reduces hardness
prior to reverse osmosis.
Stable water quality is required for
hydroponics to operate properly. This
can be achieved using a water
purification system including Reverse
Osmosis (RO) technology to produce
the water needed. The usage of RO
permits to minimize the fluctuations of
the quality of tap water and to decrease
the concentration of several
contaminants.
Chlorine and chloramines
Chlorine and chloramines in nutrient
solution water are known to cause
damage to several crops especially to
sensitive crops such as lettuce, salad
greens, strawberries and others. Activated
Carbon, placed up-stream of a reverse
osmosis membrane is known to remove
efficiently those oxidizing agents.
Bacteria and pathogens
Water from sources such as wells, ponds
streams etc. often contains organisms that
should be removed before the water can be
used in nutrient formulations. The most
common of these ‘pathogens’ is Pythium, which
can attack plants when present in sufficient
spore concentration. Moreover, bacteria release
ions and organics, which can be harmful for the
plant growth. Reducing the level of bacteria and
other microorganisms is recommended
 PH
pH
•This is the measure of acidity or alkalinity of a solution, on a scale of 1 to 14,
where the neutral point is 7.
•Most plants in soil grow best in a pH6.5 – 7.0conditions,
• hydroponically-grown plants prefer slightly more acid conditions.
•You should aim for a pH of between 5.5 and 6.5. This is the range within which
nutrients are most available to plants.
•A high pH can reduce the availability of iron, manganese, boron, copper, zinc and
phosphorous to plants. A low pH can reduce the availability of potassium,
sulphur, calcium, magnesium and phosphorus.
•If the pH moves out of the desired range, it can be lowered by the addition of
phosphoric or nitric acid to the solution, or raised by adding potassium hydroxide.
There are pH adjusters better suited for vegetative growth, and others for fruiting
phase.
•The pH can be tested by using an indicator solution or a pH meter. This should be
done daily.
 E.C
EC – Electrical Conductivity
•This is a measurement of the strength of a nutrient solution. It is also known as CF (Conductivity
Factor), The measurement of EC is in milliSiemens per cm (mS/cm).
•Plants take up different nutrient salts at different stages of growth and in different climatic
conditions, as well as different pH levels..
•The speed that different nutrient salts are taken up also varies. For instance, nitrogen is taken
up quite quickly, but calcium is a slow mover! For the home grower it is advisable to change the
nutrient solutions at regular intervals, say every week in summer and every two weeks in winter.

•If the EC rises, it means that the plants are taking up water faster than nutrients. This usually
happens in hot weather, when the plant tries to keep cool. When this happens you add water
until the required EC is reached. On the other hand, if the EC falls, the plant is taking up more
nutrients than water, so you have to add more nutrients.

•If you feed lettuce with a high EC intended for tomatoes, the lettuce can become bitter.
Likewise, if you feed tomatoes with a low EC, suitable for lettuce, the tomatoes will be tasteless!
Crop EC level (ms/cm)
Leafy vegetable 1 – 1.2- 1.5

Tomato, 2 - 2.2 – 2.5-3.0-3.5- 3.8

Salad cucumber 1.5 -1.8 – 2.0- 2.2

Chilly, Capsicum 1.8 - 2- 2.3- 2.5

PREPARATION OF STOCK SOLUTION
 E.C AND PH MEASURMENT

PH METRE E.C METRE

MACRO NUTIRNETS -DEFICIENCIES
Nutrient deficiencies
 DEVICES

Control

Management

Nutrigation Monitoring

13
5
 Act

• Dosing & Water

systems

13
7 Confidential
 FLOW DIAGRAM SHOWING pH & EC CONTROLLER SYSTEM
Substrate computer

pH-Control Alarm
Registration Filling
program

EC-Control Irrigation

MV SP

Basin

EC

Mixing pipe

Nutrient solution
A B Mixing tank

A/L
100 x 100 x 800 – 1000 L

Ca SO4 + PO4
 CLIMATE CONTROL
MAJOR COMPONENTS OF CLIMATE:

1. LIGHT (RADIATION LEVEL, TOTAL RADIATION)

2. TEMPERATURE (DAY/NIGHT, SUMMER/WINTER)

3. HUMIDITY (RH)

4. WIND: AIR MOVEMENT, SPEED AND DIRECTION

5. RAINFALL /PRECIPITATION
 COMPONENTS OF LIGHT

3 Components of Light

• QUALITY

• QUANTITY

• DURATION
 QUALITY OF LIGHT
Part of Wave- Effect on Plants Desirable
Solar length Plastic
Radiation (nm) Properties
Ultra 300-400 Harmful to plants. UV stabilized
Violet Dwarfing, thickening of and UV
(UV) leaves. Scorching effect, blocked
petal injuries
Visible 400-700 Necessary for Maximum PAR
Light Photosynthesis also known light should
as PAR – come inside
Photosynthetically Active the
Radiation greenhouse
Infra Red 700- Helps in morphogenesis, IR blocker
(IR) 14000 produces heat. Longer
and weaker stems due to
overheating
 QUALITY OF LIGHT
• PAR:
Light with wavelengths of 400 to 700 nm is
referred as Photosynthetically Active Radiation
(PAR) – consists of seven colours, commonly known
as VIBGYOR.

Within this range , Red (650 – 700nm) and Blue (460 –

480nm) light is most efficiently used by plants for
photosynthesis.
 Temperature
Influences photosynthesis, transpiration, respiration,
Photosynthesis and Temperature
The optimum temperature for quality production is 18-
22oC and temperatures more than 35-40o C , the
photosynthesis drops and lowering the production while at
45o C, the plant physiology is restricted. In polyhouses the
temperature is modified by providing good ventilation,
usage of screens and usage of foggers / micro sprinklers.
In open condition during summer production of crops is
not possible.
Respiration and temperature
Below 5oC little respiration
5-35oC respiration rate increases rapidly
above 35oC-decreased respiration
Requirement of ambient wheather parameters for
major crops is as follows.

Humidity Light Intensity

S. no. Name of crop Day (oC) Night (oC)
(%) (LUX)
1 Rose 24-28 18.5-20 65-70 60000-70000
2 Gerbera 20-24 18-21 60-65 40000-50000
3 Carnation 16-20 10-Dec 60-65 40000-50000

Chrysanthem 18-25oC and 12-14 hours light duration for vegetative

4
um growth and 8-10 hours for flowering

a Cut flower 22-24 15-16 60-65 35000-40000

b Pot 23-26 16.5-18 60-65 35000-40000
5 Orchid 22-24 18-20 70-80 25000-30000
6 Capsicum 21-24 18-20 60-65 50000-60000
7 Cucumber 24-27 18-19 60-65 50000-60000
8 Tomato 22-27 15.5-19 60-65 50000-60000
Foliage
9 24-30 18-21 75-80
plants
 Common Problems
• Pests similar to conventional farmimg
• Water born diseases practical problems
• Climate control
• Lack of I.P.M
• Problem of Sucking pests
• Lack of trained persons
• Lack of proper designs
 Basic IPM
• Pest Identification
• Monitoring or Scouting
• Threshold and Action Levels
• Tactics: Cultural, Mechanical, Physical,
Biological, and Chemical
• Evaluation
 Scouting Equipment

Hand Lens Optivisor

Sticky yellow trap cards Scouting records

Trap Cards as Scouting Tools
• Yellow cards trap
winged aphids,
whiteflies, thrips,
fungus gnats, and shore
flies.
• One card/250 – 1000ft2
• Horizontal is better for
trapping fungus gnats.
• They may snag natural
enemies too.
DAILY CHECK LIST
RECORDING DAY TODAY OPERATIONS
THE END